China introduced an upgraded 2 Gbps family broadband service in Shanghai on Friday, giving the city the fastest broadband network in the nation. The new broadband, double the current highest bandwidth, offers consumers services like full-house connections, remote and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based medical care and health care, and high-definition digital entertainment content. It also boosts the city’s digital transformation strategy and it is the latest update for Shanghai to speed up digital infrastructure.
China will offer free upgrades to some loyal consumers. By the end of 2022, more than 40% of its users will have broadband networks with 1 Gbps or above. The upgraded network service helps Shanghai boost digital transformation, covering smart homes, digital health care and intelligent transportation systems in the city.
A Chinese telecommunications company and an AI company signed a deal on digital medical cooperation to boost AI applications in Shanghai and nationwide. The partnership not only covers top hospitals, but also many grassroots hospitals in communities and rural regions. It gives more people access to digital medical services. More than 6,000 hospitals and medical organisations are using China’s cloud services. The cooperation will bring them more innovations and AI capabilities.
Moreover, to improve data usage and management in Shanghai, data exchange will officially debut in the city. The government-authorised data exchange is a key part of Shanghai’s blueprint to becoming a global digital hub. Participants include traders, technology providers and lawyers, making data trading reliable and efficient. The exchange mainly targets enterprise and organisational users.
All data usage and trade will be under strict rules, such as “data to be used but not seen” to protect individual data security and personal privacy, industry regulators said. The first batch of participants includes public utilities, banks, e-commerce firms and law firms.
Banks will now be able to easily access data from public utilities and mobile carriers when deciding on loans to businesses – reducing their risk exposure. The official data exchange makes data sources “clear and reliable” by regulating the trade. It comes as China strengthens data and personal information protection and after the country has released several laws, such as the Personal Information Protection Law.
Data has become a new production factor, a basic and strategic resource, which will be better shared among different bureaus and various regions. Shanghai is going to take measures to solve challenges like isolated data islands’ and duplicated investment.
Shanghai’s digital hub blueprint covers the three key areas of digital transformation and innovation: the economy, daily life and management. The data exchange is expected to improve urban management and boost digital transformation.
As reported by OpenGov Asia, Shanghai is aiming to make the city a global digital hub by 2035 as it pushes forward with its digital city construction plan. The plans include information technology upgrades of industrial and urban management, online economy development and data usage innovation.
Shanghai will head up digital infrastructure and data usage across the country, with upgrades and digital transformation until 2025. Then by 2035, the city will become a global digital hub. Shanghai can boost digital transformation by industrial, talent and data volume advantages. It will also solve challenges like its big population, transportation traffic and cybersecurity.
The new blueprint covers tasks and targets by 2025, such as 200 intelligent factories and 50 digitalised hospitals. It covers three sectors of digital transformation and innovation: the economy, daily life and management.
Shanghai has built 5G and industrial Internet networks citywide, boosting the digital economy and improving people’s daily life. The city has supported the development of key industries such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and integrated circuits.
